A garden is always an attempt at taming. With much self-imposed labour, the flora is brought into form – often into a form that is supposed to have the appearance of chance. The garden is a place of pleasure, a place of longing and desire, but also of distinction. It is a place of seeing and being seen. Sometimes, depending on the nature of the garden, it’s also a place where you can get lost in thought – or quite literally, for example, in one of the labyrinths sometimes found in the gardens of palaces. And of course, the idea of the garden harbours that of paradise, in relation to which we find ourselves displaced: through our separation from animals, the beginning of self-consciousness, the beginning of nudity and the beginning of shame. In this Friday Beyeler, guided by Olga Hohmann and David Karl Max, we want to explore the different forms of movement and (self) observation that take place in the microcosm of the garden, focusing both on the question of class, demarcation and belonging – and on the simultaneity of the microcosm and organisms that gather in the biotope, visibly and invisibly. Special attention will be paid to the pond – a standing, constructed body of water that blurs the line between these aspects. We will take a playful look at two literary positions: short prose by Virginia Woolf and the long poem/prose poem ‘I remember’ by Joe Brainard. Both positions invite a sharpening of perception that can be scaled up and down. ‘I spy with my little eye’ is a game for children, but it can also make us sharper observers – just as a continuation of ‘I remember’ triggers free associations that lead to a collective literary process. (Childhood) memory, which seems to be the most intrinsic/personal thing we have, suddenly becomes visible as an exemplary home to particular cultural experiences. But when those associations blur into a tapestry of shared memories, it weaves a new, non-linear narrative is. Olga Hohmann is an author and artist based in Berlin. She writes essays, prose and texts for performances. In 2022, The Overview Effect was published by Textem Verlag Hamburg, and in 2023 In deinem rechten Augen wohnt der Teufel (The Devil Lives in Your Right Eye) by Korbinian Verlag. David Karl Max is an artist based in Basel and Berlin. Meeting point: pavilion in the park The event will be held in German and English. Advance booking is not required for this event.

Enjoy a relaxed evening out at the museum after work: ‘Friday Beyeler’ is the perfect way to kick off the weekend. The museum is open until 9 pm and the restaurant until 10 pm. Unless otherwise stated, admission to ‘Friday Beyeler’ is included in the museum ticket. If you spend at least CHF 25 per person in the restaurant, you can enter the museum on the same evening for free. Valid on Fridays between 6 and 9 pm. More information can be found at fondationbeyeler.ch/en